Are your cats ruining your furniture? Are you thinking about getting them declawed? There are other ways of preventing claw marks in your leather couch without performing a surgery!
Declawing is a very controversial practice and it can become a very heated and emotional topic. This is due to the actual procedure involved in declawing a cat. While the technique used varies from surgeon to surgeon, they all involve one thing. In order to remove the claw you also have to remove the small piece of bone the claw grows from otherwise it will just grow back. This is the equivalent of removing the tip of your finger where your fingernail grows. This is why many people are opposed to declawing. Many people feel it is unnatural to remove a cat’s claws and is done for the owners benefit rather than the cats.
Fortunately, there are a number of great alternatives available! The first is simple- keeping your cats nails trimmed. This is a simple process that can be done with cat nail trimmers (available at most pet stores) as long as you remember this simple rule; Clear=Trim, Red=Stop. If you only trim the clear part of a cats nail it will not hurt or bleed. The second alternative is a product called Soft Paws which as plastic caps that adhere to the tips of your cats nails keeping them blunt. These caps come in many fun colours and stay on for a few months at a time. It is also important to provide your kitties with appropriate scratching posts or other areas for them to claw at without restriction.
Of course whatever you decide is best for you and your furry family members we will be happy to assist with. As always, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian and we will be happy to go over any of these options with you!
This blog post was written by McQueen Animal Hospital, a veterinary clinic in Brampton providing quality affordable veterinary care
